The Project Boy
by 1helluvahetalian
Summary: When average business man Levi is given a student who has lost all hope in his future, can Levi turn him around and help him realize that the future is indeed brighter? Or will he be too busy thinking about his own past to help?


"Levi! It's time to get up!" A cheery voice sounded, disturbing my dreamless sleep, I did nothing but grunt in return, turning in the opposite direction from where the voice was coming from. I hadn't gotten much sleep last night considering Hange wanted to do nothing but talk about her studies. Hange was a scientist, or that's what she called herself. She studied human emotions, how people react to different situations. Luckily for me, my day as an experiment ended after I yelled at her for making me stay up for days on end. I shared a nice sized apartment with her, and I had no idea when she started living with me, but it came to a point where she would spend most of the night chattering away about her studies that I wouldn't allow her to drive at such hours of the night. Because no matter how annoying and utterly childish she was, I didn't want to responsible for her death.

"Levi get up, you have thirty minutes until you have to be in the office, its eight o'clock, and Erwin's been calling you all morning." Hange urged once again, pulling the warm blankets from my body. But I had already been wide-awake after she mentioned that I only had thirty minutes. Would that be enough time for me to shower? Eat breakfast? Brush my teeth? Walk to work?

"Fuck, Hange why didn't you wake up sooner? More importantly why didn't my alarm go off?" I more or less mumbled the last part to myself, as I got up and started for the shower. Now the bathroom and bedroom had no door that separated them, but I was too flustered to bother with the fact that Hange would probably watch me shower.

"Because, Levi, you actually look happy in your sleep." Hange replied, taking a seat on my bed and playing around with my alarm clock. "I didn't want to wake you." She added in a much softer tone, making me grunt with distaste. Didn't she understand that even though Erwin was a close friend of mine didn't mean he'd let me be late.

"Hange, just get out of my room, I'll be out soon enough. Hey when do you leave for work?" I asked, knowing most of the Time Hanji left a little before I returned home, but her schedule wasn't really set.

"12:30 today, oh-Looks like Erwin left you a text, 'Where are you?'" She called from my nightstand, clearly ignoring my request to leave my room.

"What the hell does he mean; I still have thirty-well more of twenty five minutes." I called back, wrapping a towel around my waist and heading towards my closet. I picked out a dark gray button down shirt, a pair of black slacks and one of my many pairs of black dress shoes. I got dressed, before turning back over towards Hange, buttoning the last of my shirt.

"I dunno, he doesn't say." Hanji said with a shrug, throwing my phone into my hands. It was clear I wouldn't have time for breakfast, nor would I have time for coffee.

"Shit, Hange, today is going to be a crappy day, can't you just smell it in the air." I grumbled, putting on a coat and a scarf, and deciding to leave my hat here.

"The only thing I can smell is your cologne, you sure you put enough on?" She questioned sarcastically before following me out of the room and towards the front door.

"Shut up Hange." I grunted, not in the mood for jokes. _Besides_, I thought, _I only put a little on_. _And it's not like I'm trying to impress anyone, if it was too strong then maybe people would leave me alone_.

And with that, I made my way out the door and towards the elevator. I took a look at my phone as I waited for the doors to open; apparently Erwin was desperate for my attention considering he left me twenty messages asking where I was.

**_I'm on my way to work, why?_**

I texted back and stepped onto the elevator, lucky enough to be the only one on it-for now-me and Hange had the top floor apartment, if you could even call it that, it was the size of a small house. And because of this, I was typically the first one on the elevator, and as it went down more and more people would join me. Of course today was no different as people slowly stepped on the elevator, some going to work, others going who knows where.

Making it to the last floor and exiting the building I was surprised to find out how cold it actually was outside. I fully regretted not bringing my hat, my ears would surely be a bright shade of red by time I walked into the office building.

The Survey Company was a small company owned by Erwin Smith, my boss, and we dealt with homes and apartments. My co-workers and I would send people out to survey damaged homes or apartments and such. I quite honestly didn't know much, being so far up in the ranks all I knew was that I had to sign my name on papers and send them Erwin. Occasionally I did have to do a few jobs though, such as complaints or questions, but that was only when Erwin's secretary was out.

Walking into the lobby I was greeted with smile from various employees, saying good morning and practically wasting their breath. I then entered my second elevator of the day, and unlike the elevator in the apartment complex, this one was packed, people I did and didn't know all squished together. I contemplated taking the stairs, but decided against because of my bad leg, it would take more than thirty minutes to get to my office.

**_I need you get here now! I have somebody waiting for you; I thought I told you to get here earlier?_**

_Bullshit_, I murmured underneath my breath as I looked at the new message from Erwin. Apparently I had a visitor, maybe it was a friend of his, or maybe a business partner. Either way it meant extra work for the day.

My office was nice; it had my desk, computer, a couple bookshelves, and a chair facing the desk. But as I walked into my usual empty office, there stood Erwin, smiling way too brightly. I looked at him for a moment before noticing the smaller person that sat in the chair. His eyes were quite shocking, big and teal. Though instead of staring at the boy I averted my gaze to Erwin, his eyes told me he already knew what I was about to ask.

"Levi, this is Eren, he's a part of the school program our business is doing-remember?" Erwin said in an annoyingly polite voice. Of course I did remember, something about reaching out to the community, but I wasn't told I would have to baby sit some child.

"Yeah, yeah of course I remember." I sighed, making my way to my desk, and sitting down in the chair across from Eren. I could tell he was nervous, the way his eyes darted around, making sure not to make eye contact with me and Erwin. The way his hands fidgeted in his lap. Everything about him screamed that he was uncomfortable. I waved Erwin out of the room, wanting to discuss things with Eren alone.

"So, Eren…Jaeger, why are you here again?" I asked as soon as Erwin left. I knew that he was here for some school program, but I didn't pay much attention in the meeting. I didn't know what the program was for, was an intern program of some sort? Was it a babysitting job?

"Um, well my school and apparently your company have this student program and…"

"I know, I know. But what is it?" I asked, shuffling through papers that were left on my desk, they weren't here when I left, which must mean that Erwin left them here.

"Well, because I'm not doing so well in school, I'm getting into fights every other day, and the school thinks that if kids like me are put in a work environment that we might change or something." Eren answered, finally looking me in the eyes. I had to take a moment to laugh. Out of all the employees Erwin picked me to help this kid, out of everyone, he picked me.

"Ah, ok, well let's set some rules ok? Ok, so there is no touching my stuff. You don't touch my papers without my permission; you don't touch my desk without my permission. There will be no eating in here. None, I don't want crumbs in my office, if I find you eating-or even chewing gum-you will clean my office until I find it acceptable. I want your cell phone on mute, I don't want to hear any annoying ringtone, and I don't want you texting your friends." I stated, standing from my desk and moving closer to the chair he sat in.

"And if you break any of these rules I will personally punish you."


End file.
